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1 John 3:2 - We Shall Be Like Him!1 John 3:2 (NIV) Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.1 John 3:2 (AMP) Beloved, we are [even here and] now God's children; it is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be [hereafter], but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall [as God's children] resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He [really] is. INTRODUCTION The Christian life is a process of becoming more and more like Christ (see Romans 8:29). This process will not be complete until we see Christ face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12; Philippians 3:21), but knowing that it is our ultimate destiny should motivate us to purify ourselves. To keep pure means to keep morally straight, free from the corruption of sin. God also purifies us, but there is action we must take to remain morally fit (see 1 Timothy 5:22; James 4:8; 1 Peter 1:22). [Life Application SB] COMMENTARY PEARL My middle son, Will, has strong hands just like my husband, Scott. Scott loves that connection with Will. My oldest son, Jack, and my youngest son, Addison, have soft hands like mine. I love that their hands come from my side of the family. However, I am thankful that I have not passed on my poor vision. I have had to wear glasses or contacts since I was four years old. My boys are glasses-free and follow in Scott's genetic footsteps with blue eyes and 20/20 vision. Much of who I am is because of my ancestors. My DNA determines many of my family traits, but I also have a spiritual heritage. My parents instilled godly values in me by trusting Jesus and modeling their lives after Him. Jesus passed along His family traits to me as well. I'm made in His image (Genesis 1:27), and when I accepted Jesus as my Savior, I became part of His family - a daughter of the King (John 1:12). Unlike the unchangeable DNA assigned to me at birth, I can grow in my likeness to Christ. The more time I spend with Jesus, the more I become like Him. Knowing Him and keeping Him present in my life are traits I strive to pass along to my boys, friends, and family - a spiritual DNA to be shared by all. Susanna Foth Aughtmon Faith Step: Note the family traits you can see in yourself, then identify traits you've inherited from Jesus as He's reshaped your heart, mind, and spirit. [Mornings With Jesus 2024 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan] CLOSING THOUGHT You'll Get There During my last two years of high school, I attended church with one of my high school teachers, Mr. G., and his family. On more than one occasion, Mr. G. would listen to my teenage troubles and say, "Don't worry. You'll get there." After graduation I joined the navy and lost contact with Mr. G. for many years. During that time, I became an atheist and spent the next eighteen years totally apart from God. But no matter how bad things seemed, I would always hear Mr. G. saying, "Don't worry. You'll get there." Sometimes that was the only hope I had. Finally, in 1997. just when things couldn't have been worse, God began to reveal himself to me, and in January 1999, I placed my faith in Jesus Christ. Sometime later I began to understand how unlike Christ I was. It was then that I found 1 John 3:2 and realized that even though I'm not as much like Jesus as I want to be, there is coming a day when I will be. Then I remembered how Mr. G. would always say, "Don't worry. You'll get there." I was deeply moved. In my youth, I didn't know where "there" was, but I do now. When I find myself worrying about how slow my progress seems or how often I fail, I remember God's promise that when Christ appears in that moment - I will finally be there. Bea Kennedy, wife of Terry and mother of Aubrey, is a Sunday school teacher, an Awana leader, and the oldest daughter of third-generation Salvation Army officers. [The One Year Bible Live Verse Devotional] LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY 1 John 3:2 - We Shall Be Like Him! https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230310-0857.html 2 Corinthians 3:18 - More and More Like Jesus! http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220825-0814.html Philippians 1:6 - Jesus Can Do It! - Will You Let Him? https://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20211110-0842.html Philippians 1:6 - Its His Work, Not Ours. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20211128-0955.html LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT https://abible.com/links/ |